The developers of forum code changed the behavior of links in the forum when they wrote the phpBB 3.X code. Previously in phpBB 2.X, when you clicked on a link it launched a new window (or tab). Now when you click on a link, it opens in the same window, unless you right click on it. They had (in their minds) a good reason for doing this.

It can be changed back. However, it requires editing the forum code in several place in different files, something I'm not looking forward to. It also would not change any of the existing posts - only new ones. So existing posts would have to be edited before their links would open in a new window.

So my question to you - how do you feel about it? How much do you want links to open in new windows?

--Tony

Give a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day.Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

I voted "I don't care," but that's not exactly the case. I would prefer to have the links open in a new window, but I do NOT want the admins to have to manually edit everything to make it work properly. It's way too much work, in my opinion, for a minor issue.

I say leave it as is now; opening in a new window is the world wide web of the past.

Web folks used to argue that opening a link in a new window allows your site to still be open, and will bring users back to the page. But this has gone by the wayside with usability studies, e.g. Jakob Nielsen's studies have shown again and again: people know how to use the "back" button. And to take into consideration the need for dynamic re-rendering of a page (to take into account the visited pages), Classic Castle currently has a very intuitive and helpful breadcrumb system.

And besides, if I want it in a separate window (or tab), as Foamrider mentioned, I can always right click. Then those of us who don't like it in a new window don't have to spend our time closing extra windows ...we can just keep on reading CC.

Some of them you can get away with the "click both at the same time" to imitatea middle-click (and some laptops do have the 3rd button as well, like the IBM nextto me). My default is usually to middle-click links anyway, so I voted 'don't care',but manually editing forum code is a pain in the butt, because when you go to upgradethings later, you have to remember to do it again

Duckingham wrote:I say leave it as is now; opening in a new window is the world wide web of the past.

Yes,but,we are on a forum with loads of pictures.We like to watch them, a lot. So we'll have to right-click, a lot.

Well ... I'll admit I'm new to this forum, so if there is a particular usability that most existing members prefer, I'm just as happy to get used to it, since I'm just tickled pink to have a Classic Castle forum.